Shadows Follow the Cursed
by Mitzia
Summary: Toshiro Sakurai, a normal fifteen year old boy who finds life way too plain and simple. When he discovers his classmate is cursed, how will he try to help her and her dysfunctional family who is also cursed. T for language and slight nudity.
1. Shadows Follow the Wanderers

_The day he came into our lives, everything changed._

Every day was the same as the last. I woke up, went to school, came back home, and fell asleep. Nothing would ever change.

In mid-September, I woke up earlier than I usually did. It'd be a waste to go back to sleep. I packed my bag and took the longer way to school.

The air was thick with humidity and the sun was still wet from last night's storm. Leaves were beginning to fall and the sun was shining bright.

The path ahead was clear. No cars were being driven on the road. People were still sleeping, so no one would be walking. The silence on the street was somewhat comforting yet overwhelmingly lonely.

I checked my watch and I had about twenty minutes before school started. As I walked, I saw a small park filled with green trees and park benches.

I set my bag down on a bench that was underneath a tree so there was shade. I sat down and leaned back on the wet wood.

It was quiet and peaceful. The sun struggled to get in between the leaves and branches. It was quiet until I heard rustling in the tree behind me.

There was a noise somewhat high up. The branches moved quickly and suddenly a body fell down.

The body was that of a girl who looked about my age – fifteen. She stood up and brushed the mud and leaves out of her hair and off her uniform.

Her shirt was white with long sleeves. Her skirt was short and black with red suspenders attached and black stockings underneath. She spun on her heels with her black flats topped with a bow. On her front, she had a red tie and a headband that was black with circles on it that kept her long, lilac hair out of her face.

"Toshiro-senpai?" the girl said.

I suddenly recognized the uniform as my schools and I then remembered the girl.

"Yumiyuki-san. You know we're in the same class. I'm not your senpai," I said.

She looked at me with a confused face and the bowed. "I'm sorry, senpa- I mean Toshiro-san!" she said. While she bowed, she looked at her watch. "Oh! It's almost time for school! Should we walk together since we're already here?" she asked quietly.

I just nodded. It's not like it could hurt. Her eyes were bright and looked like the morning sun. It didn't help that they were yellow. She smiled at me and practically led the way.

Yumiyuki pointed at things she thought were cool like cars and the animals in trees. Yumiyuki seemed to be very strange, very different. It seemed somewhat nice to have her next to me.

"We sure got here early," Yumiyuki said. I looked at the streets and only honor students who come first thing in the morning were walking.

"Is that bad?" I asked.

"Eh? Ah-! No! Not at all. Hey! Maybe we'll be the first ones in class!" Yumiyuki said. She grabbed my arm and dragged me through the empty hallways. Usually, I am the first one in class so I didn't really understand why it was so important to get there first. But, Yumiyuki did seem to have a habit of coming to school late.

Just as she predicted, we were the only ones in the classroom. "Wow! First place belongs to me today!" she cheered playfully.

Yumiyuki sat in her seat and I sat in mine. Within minutes, the rest of our class entered the room and classes began and ended.

Instead of focusing on the lessons, my mind seemed to find a way back to the purplette. She seemed so happy, full of life. It was…different.

The last bell rang and teens flooded out of the room. I stood up, turned around, and saw the chipper girl standing inches away.

"Um, Toshiro-senpai, it was really fun to walk with you this morning. W-Would it be okay if we walked back together?" she asked me timidly. There was a slight blush on her face, but I thought nothing of it.

"Sure. Where do you live?" I asked. Judging by where I picked her up, it must be closer to school than my house.

Yumiyuki's face turned pale and she looked upset. Did I step on a landmine?

"I uh, don't have a home, per se," she softly muttered.

"Per se? What do you mean? Are you homeless?" I asked. With each question I asked, she got more and more upset.

"Never mind! Please forget I said anything!"

With that, Yumiyuki ran out of the room with tears forming in her yellow eyes. I had to follow her.

She was fast. By the time I reached a hallway, she was at the end of it. I chased her out of the school, but she got faster. Luckily, I was faster too because of the straight road.

Yumiyuki started slowing down when we were close to the park, but I just got faster. When I caught up to her, I grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her into a hug.

"Senpa-"

Before she could finish saying her word, a purple cloud of smoke engulfed the both of us. When it cleared, she was gone.

Instead, a small purple mouse stood in my hand and my school's girls uniform was on the ground.

The rat looked terrified and somehow I knew it was Yumiyuki. I opened my bag and gently shoved her in, along with the clothes.

I ran. I ran down streets and roads. I surprised I didn't get us hit by a car or bike.

After more running, I finally reached my house, ran inside, and shut the door. I opened the bag and the mouse jumped out. She looked at me and then another purple puff of smoke engulfed her.

Once the smoke cleared, the long purple haired girl appeared again…with her clothes still in the bag.

She sat on her knees and her hair was behind her ears, making it impossible for it to cover her chest.

Her blush returned as she screamed and scrambled to get her clothes out of the bag.

I turned away so she could get some privacy.

"U-Um, you can look now."

I turned back to see she only put on her shirt and skirt. "I think you have some explaining to do," I said.

"Ah, yes. Whenever I get hugged by a boy, a curse makes me turn into a rat. I can't really explain it much more than that, but it's all I know."

"Yumiyuki-san, do you know how to stop it?" I asked. She shook her head.

"And you have no home?" She shook her head again.

There was a half rat, half girl without a home in my house who was also my classmate. So, I asked her the only thing I could.

"Do you want to stay here?"

Yumiyuki's eyes lit up. "Would it be alright?!" I nodded. She jumped off her knees and hugged me. Purple smoke transferred her into a rat again.

"This'll take some getting used to," I said.

And with that, my boring, average life, became so much more interesting.

* * *

**Author's Note**

**My first Fruits Basket story. ^_^ I is so excited! I love Fruits Basket. It's like Clannad - beautifully tragic. I don't know what it is with me and gender benders. I think this is my third gender bender story on FF...I think I have a problem Anyway, I hope you like this story in the future. ^_^**

**Until next time, sayonara~!**


	2. Shadows Follow the Buyers

Yumiyuki brought a few of her things from the tree in the park to the house the next day. We set up her room close to mine since the bedrooms in my house were all in one area.

All Yumiyuki really had was her clothes and school supplies. I didn't think she had so little stuff. I offered to take her to a store for furniture like a desk or table for her room, but she refused. She thought she was being a burden.

"Remember I'm the one who asked you to live with me." I said. Yumiyuki looked at her feet as if I was scolding her.

"I know, but you let me live here and I don't want to be asking too much of you," she humbly replied.

I gently placed a hand on her shoulder, not wanting her to transform. "It's okay to rely on me, Yumiyuki-san," I said. She blushed and pushed my hand away.

"I have to go somewhere," she said and ran out of the house. I watch as she ran down the narrow streets of our city. Did I saw something wrong?

I sat on the floor of her room, thinking of what I should do. If I just bought her stuff, she might not like it. What if she does like it but she won't accept it because I went against her wishes? Women are a hard species to please.

I walked to the living room to get my jacket and wallet and left the house like Yumiyuki. I walked in a different direction than her earlier outburst and found a close by furniture store.

Inside, there were different types and colors of tables and matching chairs all over the place. Most of them were a golden wood color that most families owned. I walked towards the back where they had a kids section. Yumiyuki reminded me of a small child the way she acted.

There were average sized tables in shades of red, blue, purple, green, and polka dots. They all seemed to fit her personality. The purple ones stood out the most.

There was a small, lilac desk with a white spiral chair next to it. It was perfect.

A lady helped me carry it to the cash register where the new desk and chair were purchased.

Carrying it home was an adventure all in itself. It was a bit more difficult than carrying Yumiyuki home in her rat form. It took a while, but I made it when it finally occurred to me to use the spiral chair as a cart.

The house was empty like the way I left it. Perfect. I carried the desk up the stair first and set it in a corner of Yumiyuki's room. I saw Yumiyuki walking up the street through the window and I knew time was running out.

I dashed for the stairs and grabbed the chair by the legs. It was heavier than the desk and that was a problem.

The door opened and she yelled, "I'm home, senpai!" Her booming voice shocked me, even though I knew she'd be there and I tripped on a step. I fell chair first and a loud thud echoed throughout the house.

"Senpai…" I heard small footsteps approaching me at the top of the stairs. I stumbled on my feet and dragged the chair up the last few steps. I caught a quick glimpse of Yumiyuki before I disappeared into her room. I shoved the chair halfway across the room and it glided perfectly to the desk. I jumped on the chair and faced the wall when I heard the door open.

"Senpai, what are you-"

I turned in the chair and faced Yumiyuki. She looked shocked. "When did this-"

"While you were out. Do you like it?" I asked.

"I do, but you didn't have-"

"I don't want to hear it, Yumiyuki-san. It's here and it's staying here," I interrupted. She looked upset again, so I stood up to comfort her. While walking, my foot magically slipped from under me and my pat on the shoulder turned into a glomp.

The familiar purple smoke engulfed us and the rat appeared. Yumiyuki looked at me and we both started laughing. This was an interesting arrangement.

* * *

**Author's Note**

**A fluffy chapter (at least in my mind its fluffy :P) I will be updating this story and my ongoing stories a lot from now until Halloween, so be prepared for a mountain of updates! ^_^**

**Until next time, sayonara~!**


	3. Shadows Follow the Feisty Felines

Yumiyuki and I walked to school the following week together. It was strange walking with someone this early in the morning. She was as perky as usual, more so when we passed the park where we formally met.

"Aww, my stuff isn't there anymore. Someone must have stolen it!" she playfully teased. By the sound of it, she was happier to live in a house than a tree.

"Should we call the police?" I asked, playing along. She laughed and we walked up the hill. I looked down at her smiling face, but when I did, it was no longer happy.

It was scared.

Ahead of us on the sidewalk was a girl who looked about our age staring at us. She had elbow length orange hair and cat like eyes like Yumiyuki's. She wore the same school uniform as her, but the girl's tie wasn't tied and the stockings were full of holes. Her shirt was also unbuttoned and you could see her cleavage, even from a distance. In short, she looked like a yankee.

"Are you okay, Yumiyuki-san?" I asked. She turned to me quickly as if I snuck up on her.

"Huh? What? Oh, um, yeah, I'm fine. Let's go!" Yumiyuki returned to her cheerful self for a minute and she pushed me passed the orange haired girl. When the two crossed paths, I swear I felt static in the air. I wonder who she could be to Yumiyuki. A sister maybe?

We arrived first at the school and she sighed. "I can't believe she found me," she mumbled.

"Who was that?" I asked. There was a bit of silence. She opened her mouth to say something, but closed it immediately when another student walked in the room.

It was the girl from before.

"What are you doing here?" the lilac haired girl asked. The cat like girl chuckled.

"I should be asking you that, rat," she snickered. Rat? She must know Yumiyuki's secret then. Who is this girl?

"I'm waiting for class to start. What are you doing here, Kyoko?" Yumiyuki asked.

The girl named Kyoko smiled a mischievous smile. "I came to look for my dear sister," she said.

A sister was right. Yumiyuki soon looked mad and she clenched her fist.

"You're not my sister. We may share the same father, but we're not sisters or family," she growled. There was no trace of Yumiyuki in the room. It was someone completely different from her normal, cheerful personality.

"Blood says differently, rat. Although I'm about as fond of you as you are of me, nothing van change that, rat," she said. With each word, she stepped forward and Yumiyuki stepped back. It didn't take long before her back was against the wall.

"Then why are you here?" Yumiyuki growled. Kyoko slammed her fist against the wall an inch away from Yumiyuki's face.

"It's not my fault Akane wants to know where you are every fucking minute of every fucking day."

"Then why do you do it?" Kyoko glared at the girl.

"You don't understand how our family works, even now?!" Kyoko screamed. She raised her hand and Yumiyuki braced herself for the upcoming slap. I couldn't sit around and do nothing.

"Stop it!" I yelled. With a sudden burst of adrenaline, I rushed in between the two girls. My foot got caught on a desk leg and my dash became a stumble. I held out my arms to brace myself upon impact. My change of direction led me to Kyoko and we both fell.

An orange puff of smoke engulfed her and I. The smoke cleared and underneath me was an orange cat that looked pissed beyond belief.

"What the-"

"Mwrao!" The cat raised a small paw and scratched the back of my hand, cutting it and making it bleed. I retreated my hand and rubbed it slowly.

"Senpai!" Yumiyuki yelled. She knelt down beside me and held my hand in her smaller ones.

The cat growled and jumped out the window, grabbing the clothes with her mouth and tail.

"So is she-"

"That's Kyoko. She's my…half-sister. She's cursed with the cat, but I don't think that needed to be said," Yumiyuki said.

"I see you two don't get along."

"Never did, never will."

"Why not?"

"The stories say otherwise."

"What stories?"

Yumiyuki sighed. "Allow me to explain, senpai."


	4. Shadows Follow the Storytellers

"Our curses are based off the Chinese Zodiac," Yumiyuki said.

"The Chinese zodiac? You mean the rat, rabbit, dog, rooster, dragon, ox, tiger, ram, monkey, snake, horse, and boar?" I counted the animals but only got twelve. "I'm positive those are all the animals. What am I missing?" I asked.

"The cat. It's not one of the years, but it is part of the zodiac, more or less."

"More or less? What do you mean?"

"Did you hear any of the stories as a kid about the rat and the cat?" I shook my head. "In all the stories, the rat is the victor and the cat is always alone.

I tried to take in what she said. By the look of the fight that was about to break out, it was hard to believe that the innocent Yumiyuki would win against the fierce Kyoko. She looked scared to see a person she won against, especially one in children's fairy tales. I guess they aren't fairy tales anymore.

"Can you tell me one of the stories?"

Yumiyuki thought for a minute before she started her story.

"God wanted to have a party and he invited all of the animals of the land. He sent the rat to invite all the animals and he did…except for the cat. The cat was sleeping and didn't receive the message. All the animals showed up to the party, except for the cat. When he woke up, the party was over. Everyone talked about their fun experiences, except for the cat. He was lonely yet again."

The story certainly sounded like a children's story. I got the sad message though.

"If you're the rat, why didn't you tell her?" Yumiyuki looked mad.

"Our ancestors did this, not me! If she wants to be mad at me, she can be mad at my ancestors! I did nothing to her!" she snapped. She rubbed away oncoming tears and walked to her desk. The teacher and students walked in and I covered my bloody hand with my sleeve.

How is it the rat and the cat could hate each other for so long?

* * *

**Author's Note**

**...I feel like I got the story soooo wrong...I tried to remember the one they used in Fruits Basket, but this was all I could remember...or come up with, depending if it's the real story or not...TT^TT I hope you liked it nonetheless!**

**Until next time, sayonara~!**


	5. Shadows Follow the Loners

After our little dispute, Yumiyuki avoided me like the plague. Even at home, she would eat her meals later than I did and stayed in her room. To try and sort things out, I took a walk. I left a note, in case Yumiyuki decided to leave her room.

I walked to the park in the chilly late September air. My jacket was zipped up all the way and I was still cold. I sat on the bench where Yumiyuki and I met and I looked at the sky.

Tons of questions rushed to my head. How long ago did this curse begin? How was the curse made? What's its purpose? Are there others who are cursed? Do they hate each other too?

I sighed as another cold breeze swept through the park. "You're here too? Where's the rat?" I turned around and saw Kyoko. She was back in our school uniform.

"Yeah. She's mad at me, so I came here," I said.

She chuckled. "You came here? What, does she live with you or something?" I nodded and she stared at me with her wide, cat-like eyes. "No way. You should get rid of her right away. Only bad things will happen if you get close to her."

I abruptly stood up. "I won't let you say such things about Yumiyuki-san! She's really nice and-" I stopped, remembering the story. If it was true, it would have been her fault, per se.

"You know nothing." Kyoko got on the bench and leaned in close to my face. Our bodies didn't touch, so she stayed in her human form. "Do you know how it feels to be the laughing stalk of your entire family? No one cares about you or loves you? No one will understand. Ever." Kyoko got up and started walking away.

I felt bad for her, I really did. At that moment, I could truly feel the loneliness in her voice.

"Wait, Kyoko!" She turned around.

"What?"

"Would you like to come live with me and Yumiyuki-san?" That stupid question was back again. Of course the answer was no.

"Yes." What?!

"Why? Do you want to mend things with your sister?'

"No. I need a place to crash. Living in trees is a pain in the ass, even if I am a cat."

Two halves cut from the same cloth.

I got up and walked her to the house. She seemed less interested in the scenery than Yumiyuki which was expected.

At the door, Yumiyuki was standing there, looking shocked.

"What's she doing here?"

"Hello roommate," Kyoko slurred.

"Starting today, she'll be living with us," I said.

"You've got to be kidding me."

"Oh, but he's not, dear sister."

"Senpai! How could you do this to me?!" Yumiyuki whined.

"Family bonding is an essential part of life," I said. Kyoko started laughing.

"What?!"


	6. Shadows Follow the Reckless Ones

Perhaps letting Kyoko live with Yumiyuki wasn't the best idea I've ever had. All they ever do is fight. Luckily, it was more arguing than fist fighting, but it was only a matter of time.

On the weekend, I woke up to Yumiyuki yelling. I walked in the kitchen and there was food everywhere. On the wall, on the floor, even on the ceiling. So I guess arguments escalate to fist fights?

"Kyoko! Look what you did!" Yumiyuki yelled.

"What happened?" I asked.

"I was making soup. Toshi, telling her to stop being so loud. I can't concentrate," Kyoko said.

"Concentrate on what? You're not doing anything!" Yumiyuki yelled.

"In case you haven't noticed, I'm preparing lunches," Kyoko said, pointing to three bento boxes.

"Kyoko-san, it's Sunday," I said.

"I know that," she said after a long pause. Liar. Yumiyuki sighed, glared at her sister, and tried to clean up the ceiling.

She took a chair, stood on it, and washed the ceiling with a washcloth. "Toshi, make sure she doesn't fall on my food," Kyoko ordered.

I held onto Yumiyuki's legs to help keep her balanced.

"Senpai?"

"Yes?"

I looked up and wish I hadn't. Yumiyuki had on her school skirt which was way too short. Needless to say, I saw what was underneath.

Yumiyuki looked down at me and blushed. "Senpai! What are you doing?!" she screamed. The rat released her leg of my weak hold and kicked me in the abdomen area. Her strong kick knocked me back into the cat.

Before I knew it, I was on top of an orange cat with even more food on the floor.

"S-senpai!" Yumiyuki said, kneeling down beside us.

"Meow." Kyoko must be sighing in her cat form. She glared at Yumiyuki with beady eyes and jumped with her paws ready to attack.

I caught Kyoko mid-air and held her away from Yumiyuki.

"Guys, knock it off! Can't you be more careful?" I yelled.

"Not when she's around!" they said in unison.

Kyoko became human again, her body clothesless. She wrapped her right arm around me, not being classified as a hug by the curse.

"Remember, you are the one who asked us to live with you," she whispered into my ear.

My grave is being dug as we speak.


End file.
